Page 39 of Thicker than Water
“Only the best for you,” I reply. “If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to call for me.”
“I may take you up on that,” she says with a wink.
I rise from my seat, taking in the casino floor with my heightened senses. It’s one floor higher than the club, but even more secretive. The word “GAMBLE” is splashed across the back wall in neon lights. The lights are a bit brighter than the club, but still dim enough that our guests forget what time it is. They spend hours here, spending their hard-earned money on a chance to make it big.
As I turn past the blackjack dealer, I whisper in his ear. “Make sure she keeps winning.”
What can I say? We’ve got to keep our customers happy, especially the politicians who turn a blind eye to the illegal casino and speakeasy we’ve operated for decades. It’s in our family’s best interest to keep our operations underground, but this requires discretion. Since the election of the new mayor, I’ve been focused on ensuring that we bring her into the fold, and we keep her happy. A mafia boss’s work is never done.
And it’s likely to get more busy now that Tudor’s off to Elmwood Integrated Magic Academy, teaching Introduction to Blood-Sucking, or whatever ridiculous class he’s been assigned. Although a secret part of me is glad that he’s somewhere else. He wasnothappy when he found out that Renata and I had staked two more of the Lazarus gang’s vampires. At least they weren’t his direct progeny this time. But ultimately Tudor understood that we were protecting Hallie. Newborn vampires are very vulnerable. Vampires don’t like other vampires creating too many progeny, because it reduces the number of live humans there are for the rest of us to drink from. And since vampires can continue to exist indefinitely, it’s inevitable that we’ll all be staked eventually, usually by another vampire. So getting them out of the way quickly when they’re young is just a good strategy. In many ways, I’m also glad that Tudor is taking Hallie with him. He’ll keep an eye on her, and so will Amrita Vyas, the infamous vampire-witch and principal of Elmwood Academy.
I have no idea why Amrita is starting up the magic school again. It’s only going to worsen the tension between the magical clans. And now that it’s clear that the Hecate witches are suspicious of us, Tudor has been on high alert. There’s no way this is going to end well.
I’ve seen this cycle so many times. Witches and vampires get along for a while, then one gets suspicious of the other, then they launch a preemptive strike, then it blows up into an all-out war, then we lose so many that we’re forced into peace talks, then there’s a tentative peace, then the cycle starts all over again.
It’s exhausting. As though I don’t have enough on my plate.
I catch a glint of a gold hoop earring out of the corner of my eye, and I eagerly look toward the bar.
But it’s not her. She must be working down at the Succumb club.
I’m surprised at my disappointment. Usually I keep my escapades to one-night stands. No names, no attachments. It’s easier for everyonethat way. But the bartender has popped up in my thoughts from time to time since our first night together. Perhaps it’s because she didn’t want me to drink from her. Maybe it’s just my vampire instincts, a vestigial hunger. Bloodlust.
I’m considering going down to the club, when I spot Renata coming out of an elevator. She approaches me with the ferocity of a football coach disputing an umpire’s call.
“Celine! My god, do you ever leave this casino?”
“Nice to see you too, Renata.”
“I don’t have time for formalities, C. Xia just told me that she had to kick outthreebreathers from the club tonight because they were snorting glow…”
“They werewhat?”
She shakes her head, the severe ends of her blunt haircut bobbing impatiently. “Glow, Celine. It’s a nightclub drug, the newest variant we’ve seen.”
“What’s the big deal?” I shrug. “They come and go all the time, you know how breathers are, always looking for their next fix.”
“This is different. The effects of glow make breathers extremely susceptible to being taken advantage of by vampires. The rate of non-consensual drinking has gone up at the same rate we’re seeing the drug dispensed. And it’severywhere. We can’t seem to control its use. It’s cheap and easy to get. I’ve been hearing about other cases of vampires draining breathers because they can’t be stopped. Luckily it hasn’t happened as much at Succumb, but it’s not good for business. We’ve already noticed our numbers going down.”
I furrow my brow in concern. “Where it is coming from?”
She sighs. “Well…we managed to track down one of the dealers, outside the hotel. It wasn’t hard to get them to reveal their source. It actually seemed like theywantedto tell us.”
“Who is it?” I have a sinking feeling I already know.
“It’s…Cedric.”
“Thatbastard,” I hiss. “I knew he would do something like this!”
“Celine, don’t get yourself worked up!”
“How can you say that? He’s obviously trying to bait us, Ren! To throw it in our faces!”
She narrows her brown eyes. “He’s trying to rile you up, just likeyou’re getting riled up now!”
I huff back at her, but I have no defense. Iamfuming right now.
“Listen to me,” says Renata, taking me by the shoulders. I glare at her but don’t stop her. If anyone else was trying to talk to me like this, they would find a dagger in their heart. “I understand how you’re feeling, and I’m upset too! We’reallupset. But you’ve got to get over it. Cedric has made his bed, and he’s going to lie in it. The longer you two are feuding, the more damage it does to everyone else…”
